Guest Product Review: LifeProof

The Unwired Medic is proud to feature our first guest writer, Steve S. He hails from our Law Enforcement brethren, and served my beloved United States Marines for a time (thank you Steve!). You can find him on Twitter as @SSgt93…

LifeProof for iPhone 5 – Is it the perfect case?

I have been an avid Apple iPhone fan since the beginning, and have also owned just about every ‘tough’ case out there, as well as some fancy ones, but don’t tell anyone that.

When I ordered my iPhone 5, my first thought was what case to pick for it. Again, I have owned several cases in the past; some that are tougher for work, and some that are nicer for an evening out with my wife. I wanted an all around great case, a short time later that case was made, and in my hands; it’s made by LifeProof.

The LifeProof case is thin, light, and weatherproof, yes, that is right, weatherproof! LifeProof calls the case, “the most advanced case ever built”.

The LifeProof has grip but does not attract dirt and fuzz in pockets, will resist shock, can be used in the pouring rain, or in a blizzard, and you can swim with it. That’s right, the case is waterproof! A quick search on YouTube will yield plenty of videos of water use with the iPhone. Truly remarkable!

I put the case through several tests (including the mandatory water test when you first receive the case) and it did well. A quick registration online also extends the warranty from 90 days to a full year.

In my opinion, the LifeProof case is perfect for emergency responders. Need to call your Supervisor to keep the radio clear of a sensitive subject in the pouring rain? LifeProof will help you. Responding to a call of a drowning subject and forget the phone is in your pocket? No worries, LifeProof has you covered. It’s an investment that will save ruined phones, and also help save lives.

Of course, with every good, there is a bad. After spending an extended amount of time in a pool, my case did have a few drop of water in it around the rear window in the back of the phone, and by the charging connector at the bottom. No water entered my phone and it works fine.

There is also some ‘pillowing’ on the screen that affects the sensor on the phone. What I mean is the when making or receiving a phone call, at times it will not allow you to hang up. You simply cannot swipe the end call bar at the bottom, even when using your other hand to hold the screen closer to the phone. I had to do a hard reset on my phone to get the call to end without removing my phone from the case. Some users have removed the foam strips, but you risk damaging the waterproof protection. Not everyone has this problem. I say buy the case, test it, if it’s an issue, return the case and try another. I hear LifeProof is on their 3rd version; mine was a release date version.

Overall, I would recommend the LifeProof as it does wonders with very few quirks. This case was not made for a ‘hipster’. It was made for emergency responders like you and me.

I am also a big fan of the AppleCare warranty, but that is for another story!